OBITUARY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22204, 6 March 1934, Page 9

OBITUARY

SIR ARTHUR DOBSON;r ;; (Special to Bail* CHRISTCHURCH, March, 6. Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson, a pib neaf of Canterbury and an engineer Anil wr* veyor of-wide experience, died this momig at the age of 92. He was oseofthe best known figures in Canterbury. He had been ill for. about three days and died in his sleep at his home in Christchurch. S v Sir Arthur Dudley was born ifi London on September 9, 1841;. and came to New Zealand in the barque Cressy in 1850 with his father, who had enrolled himself among the Canterbury, pilgrims. They arrived at Lyttelton on December 27 of that year, and were. temporaHly housed in barracks. Early the following year he and his brother were sent to Tasmania to live with their, lather's brother while their father was engaged in making a home. They returned, to New Zealand in 1853, by. which time their mother had arrived; with the rest of the family and their father -had built two houses—one at Christchurch and one at Sumner 1 . Leaving school in 1858, Sir Arthur was afterwards employed with ins father .on various public;,work!, learning to-be An engineer and- surveyor. In 1859 and 1860 he was employed surveying at Lyttelton where he took Charge of boring operations’ to ascertain the depth of mud in the harbour. He tdok part in the survey of Evans Pass wad, and also did mnch other survey work in North Canterbury. Early in 1804 he went with Dr Von Haast to survey the Mackenzie Country, and later that year secured, the contract to survey an unknown block on the West Coast extending from the Grey River southward to about the heads, about 76 milSs. That first survey on the West Coast most difficult and dangerous. Several men were drowned during that survfey. Sir Arthur discovered'Arthur# Pass which has peen rianied after- hiin.-By 1864 he bad finished hie survey.cqaitract on the West Coast" and- went, to Nelson, where he was engaged in further survey work on the goldfields’. Later he was appointed district engineer on the Nelson-West Coast goldfields, arid After some years in that position jointed his father who. was doing hyfytyipg And engineering .work inChristchurch*• "In the late seventies the connection of Canterbury and the West Cpait *«• under consideration and surveys, made of routes over all jhe well-knpwn passes, and Sir Arthur \6ur,vsye£ the Hurunui - Pass route, The .Arthur’s. Flu route was subsequently decided.upOß.^.. , After »: to^.Ehgland 5 , in v Sir Arthur to Australia for. expemrice and spent) Several yearn thefei . WriU* there he tofti .th* natot:! .At one .stage. tions were, unsatisfaetpry and havdpnned h diver’s - suit, isent below the .s*urf|K>B» and found ,that -the. diversjhad hCep loafing , and, giving; fgljrit, i IM*. dent was Significant pt ■ He was essentially a. practical ; roan. Returning to' iHsw* Zealand did general engineering work, Andlrf 18W Which has been under since; At: the age of 89 he was appwntpd Christchurch .city engineer, a r j»ffth» he held until IMI, when he the age of 80. . iVhilp Ur that OOertlon hri laid the foundation of permaricßt .paving ■ programmes thSt .have'.titer carried- out, and »me of ;; thi' WWW roads 'he constructed; ire Still i standing up to modern traffic, D« waa connected, with SI - city and abroad arid w»a ; r 1931 in ' recognition of bis outstanding services to:the country -to echm«. r Christchurch. Of his sdps'tlw ; m^«^w Arthur George Dohspri. eiigineer, Dobson, who was iri. ion, died iri 1916, v arid->lr Dobson died *|w l«?L. jTTiere living, .Mr, Charles fa-mOr/ofHurunoi," TOd.tfcfe j Miss E. E; Dobson, Bwtncejgdaft Fiji, a sistaDj Island Day, >’V^ngton^aiid Widow of’ a foimrer Education, Mr G. Hogbem_ari£ thgrwpra three brothers Messrs DOosob* farmer, of Hawke’s 15*7.: engineer, of Mid aw Of Australia,j Whosp 'stage .ta'yaer, be, \ r V ;• ;«.£>; -.;>«:>• 2 •* • »■ - yj * - j;— ~'f' i 5 MR Rotot ramsaS\ ; .v-'i ■ ; ; ,WEtil^GTpN,,-.^ais*,>.\ Cabledadvice baa .been death on March 2 of Mr Robert Eaoway. sen., whilst en> rout* from Australia On:.the Strathtdid. say was ? chairman of directory. of «a Australian; •nd.:*#' tiori of Messrs . Harrisons, Ramsay Pty, Ltd.,; from the inception: of the epsepany until recently. He ww a nremlmr WOo Melbourne board Of directors of the Commercial Union Assurance Company,

MR ISIDORE S 'OE BEER • t '. ", t-V: ,’.'vr, J , A‘ ■ Mr Isidore Samuel de Beer,, whose death in London ..on, Friday announced yesterdsy*W« .ontjl .aj years ago u well-knownbasin*** the city. He was a director <rf Hsßenstein Brother* and of the, Drai>ecy ,xmporting Company, and left Dimßdin, qt the end of 1930 for London, .where bo ; had since resided, with hie .two." daughter* and hi» son. > He wiw T 4 yeans,oft; His wife, who was a daughter of ,’t»o late Mr Bend!* Hailedirteiii, predsw«e« him Several year* ago. - All throaghAhi* residence in Dunedin he tdok W delight in art, : and he flnanciaHy whelped towards Improvements at the -Gallery and the Mrieeqm> ..Mr Bow »*■ loft a large circle of friends, in Dunedin but throughout NeWjEdaland. He was of an ' amiable • natnro, Andv • man of generous dispoßitiwi'wbo*e„Contributions to charities the most pdrt thrbugfajprtyath The flags on the business lflro which Mr de Beer W*a at one,; connected were-at. mark of respect to; bin .• »«ndfTj;r. •. v.t-

,!’ ■■! Mr ! h C MOUNTNEY" : The death occurred, in terday of ;Mr H: C. well kn6*ri s insportitogy cftchir ownerof botb.gallopfcrs/pnd mtte»*>m the training.of 'Which ..he an active, part. One', of •; the’ pf«t*inw*wn performers which’ carried his“cplou,«'frSa Goncascj: with lerhich he, won; total hurdle races,>and * he also owned the pacer Sanaa vend- Mr MountnCy was widely know». t in Central Otago, where he held the licehw Ranfnrly. Hotel for a; number -of 76*1*. He was also the licensee of * BOteUi Timaru, and for a short period conducted the Bay VieW - Hotel, •• Dunedin. jHa .waa of . a' qniet ‘and unassuming disposition, but possessed a kindly nature and had a wide wircle ; 6f frlendx He ro,;*WtlTed by Mrs Mouhtney, 5 r .